Warren Co. Considering Noisy Animal Ordinance

Warren County – There could soon be a "noisy animal ordinance" in place for rural Warren County. But there's still a lot of research to do before that happens.

The county board's animal control committee brought up the issue at the most recent meeting after receiving a complaint from a resident. It was tabled until more information can be gathered.

John Livingston is the county's Animal Control Officer. He says the city of Monmouth already has a noisy animal ordiance in place. So do the villages or Roseville, Little York and Kirkwood. But there's nothing for unincorporated, rural areas. He says residents of the county's unincorporated areas usually work out animal issues amongst themselves.

He says he's not sure how he feels about implementing a noise ordinance in rural areas.

"Until I do a little more research, I'm just on the line," he says. "I don't know which way to go until I see how many [problems] we've had and if it's a continued problem, I guess."

Livingston says most times, the noisy animal's owners aren't aware their pets are causing a problem. That's why in Little York, the current policy states officers must give a written warning before issuing a citation. The owners then have 24 hours to fix the problem. In Kirkwood and Roseville, citations can be issued right away if the officer deems it necessary. But Livingston says he rarely issues citations right off the bat.

Over the next month, Livingston will review how many noisy animal complaints he receives from rural county residents. He says the Animal Control committee will bring up the issue again at its meeting next month.